Your answer to this question is probably a resounding NO! Of course not. We all think we are good communicators and say the right things…. so we thought.
When I asked the audience at a workshop I was doing years ago if anyone had problems communicating, no one raised their hands.
Why?
Because we don’t think we have communication problems. We can communicate. In fact, most of us salespeople can be accused of talking too much! And there lies the problem; talking too much and saying the wrong thing. That’s how we lose the sale. Because anyone with excellent sales communication skills will NEVER have any problem making a lot of money selling, that’s the truth.
Sales Communication is your greatest advantage in sales
Let me let you in on a little secret. Well… not really a secret, but this may not be obvious to some. There are prospects all over the place, especially online, looking for you and wanting what you sell.
I am not lying. I see posts constantly from people looking for things they want and need. And I see business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs falling all over themselves trying to grab it but totally missing it because they are saying the wrong things.
They are not correctly communicating what the prospect WANTS to hear. They say the wrong things–all kinds of things that mean nothing to the potential buyers.
There are two big problems people MAKE ONLINE:
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- Non-human communication. Responds that sound more like robots than humans–speaking like corporate mouthpieces instead of humans. So they mouth off pitches full of jargon to appear intelligent and cool but fail to realize that these corporate talks don’t communicate to most buyers. They may sound cool and impressive, but no one gets it–because it’s either way too long or complicated for a busy, overwhelmed brain looking to get some help. I am sure, if you pay attention, you’ll see them. In fact, I challenge you to look for them in online groups to train yourself to avoid being “that person.”
- Making it hard for others to buy or respond. Respond like: “That’s what I do. I can help you with that. Give me a call to see if there is a fit” — which translates to: “give me a call, and I will assess whether or not, you are qualified to be my client”. Doesn’t that sound uninspiring? Of course, it could also mean: “give me a call to see if I can be a provider for you”. Either way, the response implies that they want the prospective buyer to do the work. Another version of this is when the seller says something like, “Dm me and let me know what you need” or “I’d love to help you, DM me.” Way too lazy! You are asking the person for the work that you should be doing.
Here’s what I would have said:
“Hey, what you need seems to be the exact thing I help many clients with. I’ve looked at your profile (or website ), and I can see a lot of potential (or whatever is appropriate). I’ve messaged you my suggestions and some samples of my work. Please check your messages to see if what I provide is what you’re looking for, and I’ll check back with you later to see what you think”. This message says: I’ve done quick research, so I have some idea of what you may need; I’d like to be considered and here are samples of my work. I’ve quickly built likeability and trust, which are key components in sales communication. Make it easy for potential clients to like you.
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Convince people to buy your stuff
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Convince people to give you money
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Convince people to do something (take action)
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Help people and get help
Do you want proof that good messaging is essential in your sales pitch?
Here’s what one of my students said:
‘My biggest win on the course was how I pitch and the mindset shift which is to HELP the person who needed help, and my sales pitch came out from the heart and when I said it, it was not salesy at all.’
